Motivated! Podcast with Nia Vardalos, Rob Riggle, Janelle James, full cast cover art

Motivated!

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Motivated!

By: Nia Vardalos, Rob Riggle
Narrated by: Nia Vardalos, Rob Riggle, Janelle James, full cast
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About this listen

The best motivation is…rivalry!

Candace “The Warrior” Wonder is a talk radio veteran whose mutual loathing is shared by her archenemy, a newbie radio talk show host, Misty “The Hunter'’ Carlisle. The two coworkers couldn’t be more different, but their similar motivational talk shows have them both convinced they were the first to come up with the idea. When a big-time national radio station expresses interest in buying only one of their shows, they’ll do anything to best each other in the ratings, even if it means sabotaging their own lives.

This darkly rich comedy, created by Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) and Rob Riggle (The Hangover), features an all-star cast, including Janelle James (Abbott Elementary), Charlyne Yi (The Mitchells vs. The Machines), Utkarsh Ambudkar (Ghosts), Boris Kodjoe (Station 19), SNL alums Ana Gasteyer and Rachel Dratch…and Tom Hanks too!

Motivated! invites listeners to WCAL, a small local radio station in Rochester, NY with a motley crew of novice talk show hosts keeping their station afloat as their two biggest stars duel to prove who gets the fame–and who is the fraud. Motivated! takes us on the wild ride of Candace vs Misty’s competition, a comedic crusade for power. Because Candace and Misty are…Motivated!.

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Episodes
  • Trailer: Motivated!

    Trailer: Motivated!
    Sep 21 2022

    Set in the world of a downtrodden talk show radio station in Rochester, New York, two dueling on-air motivational hosts will do anything to best each other in ratings so their show will get bought by a national (perhaps even global) radio network. Misty Carlisle (Janelle James), known as the Hunter, and Candance Wonder (Nia Vardalos), known as the Warrior, have very different personalities but a very similar method of giving advice. Hungry for their big break, Misty and Candance will stop at nothing to get what they want - whether that’s romance or a national audience. Filled with a wacky ensemble cast, this series is about two women finding their power and possibly even their ability to do good. The bad things they do to get there will soon be forgotten. Except by each other.
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    1 min
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  • Episode 1

    Episode 1
    Sep 22 2022
    Candace Wonder and Misty Carlisle are rival motivational talk radio hosts at a small station in Rochester, NY, filled with other offbeat personalities and shows. When a large satellite radio network shows interest in buying one of their shows, Candace and Misty pull out all the stops to come out on top. Unfortunately, one of them suffers a breakdown and goes missing. Oops.
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    29 mins
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  • Episode 2

    Episode 2
    Sep 22 2022
    Candace believes Misty stole her idea for the show. Clark, the station manager, encourages Candace to play the victim for ratings. Misty’s return to the station from her drunken bender is hyped-up throughout by her loyal producer, Sharky.
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    25 mins
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Check out the trailer for Motivated!

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Nia Vardalos
Rob Riggle
Janelle James
Additional Credits

About the Creator and Performer

Nia Vardalos was born in Winnipeg, Canada and studied Shakespeare and musical theater at Ryerson University in Toronto. Vardalos was in the cast of Second City Toronto before coming to Chicago Second City to continue writing and performing in ten reviews including Whitewater for Chocolate and Cardinal Knowledge.
After moving to Los Angeles, she had guest spots on a few television shows such as Two Guys and A Girl and Curb your Enthusiasm. Making some money doing voiceover but frustrated with the lack of on camera auditions, Vardalos optimistically wrote the screenplay, My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Without connections in the industry, she could not get it read. She adapted the material to a stage show, using the voiceover money to rent a theater and hiring Second City stage manager Jim Jatho. Actress Rita Wilson came to the show one night and was so impressed she recommended it to her husband Tom Hanks. Along with his producer Gary Goetzman, the couple produced the film from Vardalos’s screenplay. A huge success critically and commercially, it became the highest grossing independent film and is currently the number one romantic comedy of all time. Vardalos was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, a Golden Globe for Best Actress Motion Picture Comedy or Musical, a Screen Actors Guild award and a Writers Guild award, winning the Independent Spirit Award and the People’s Choice Award. Vardalos hosted Saturday Night Live that same year.
Next, Vardalos wrote Connie and Carla, a musical about two drag queens on the run, in which she starred. Released in 2004, it quickly became a cult-hit, still playing now on screens in gay bars around the world. Vardalos then took time off for motherhood, adopting her daughter via American Foster Care.
Vardalos made her directorial debut in 2009 with her screenplay, I Hate Valentine’s Day. This was followed by My Life In Ruins, the first production given permission to film at the Parthenon. In 2011, with Tom Hanks, Vardalos co-wrote the feature film Larry Crowne.
In 2013, Harper Collins published Vardalos’s memoir which included information about the process of adoption— New York Times bestseller, Instant Mom. Vardalos donates all proceeds to adoption groups. To date, social workers estimate the information from the book has placed 1700 children in permanent homes.
Vardalos starred in and wrote My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, released in 2016. That same year, Vardalos adapted Cheryl Strayed’s beloved book, Tiny Beautiful Things, starring in the sold out run of the play at The Public Theater in New York, and directed by HAMILTON’S Thomas Kail. The play received outstanding reviews and is the New York Times Critic's Pick. Vardalos reprised her role in 2017 in another sold-out run at The Public, and again at the Pasadena Playhouse in California. Published by Samuel French, the play was quickly licensed by many theaters and is on the list of Top Ten Most Produced Plays.
"There are moments in everyone’s lives where a door flings open, and if you’re terrified of what’s on the other side, you must walk through it." - Nia Vardalos
Quick Facts
•Became a United States Citizen in 1999
•Won Chicago’s Jeff Award for the 1994 Second City review Whitewater for Chocolate
•Played the voice role of the Map Genie in Larry Crowne
Photographed by Jana Cruder

About the Creator and Performer

Actor/comedian/writer/producer/director Rob Riggle has been a staple in comedic films and television for more than 20 years. Riggle is known for his memorable characters in comedy hits like  The Hangover and  Step Brothers, as well as his stints on  Saturday Night Live and as a correspondent on  The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Additional credits include  The Other Guys,  21 Jump Street,  22 Jump Street,  Dumb and Dumber To, and Universal’s  Night School with Kevin Hart. In two strong dramatic turns, Riggle also appeared in Warner Bros.’ war drama  12 Strong and Open Road Films’  Midnight Sun, the latter of which he received critical acclaim for his performance.
On the small screen, Riggle created and stars in Sony’s Rob Riggle’s Ski Master Academy. For his voice-over talents, he earned a 2012 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for Disney’s Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice. He can also be heard in the animated comedy for Netflix, Hoops. Rob spent 8 years on Fox NFL Sunday, doing his "Riggle’s Picks" segment during the pregame show. He played Gil Thorpe on Modern Family, and he served as a correspondent on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show from 2006-2009 and as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2004-2005.
Riggle was recently seen as the host of Discovery Channel’s Shark Week and stars in his own television show,  Rob Riggle: Global Investigator, also with Discovery.  In the RR:GI, Riggle travels around the world solving the world’s greatest mysteries such as ancient mammoths in Alaska and a lost pirate ship in the Caribbean. Riggle is also the co-commentator on ABC’s summer hit series  Holey Moley, produced by NBA All-Star Stephen Curry. 
As he broke into comedy, Riggle was still on active duty with the United States Marine Corps, which he initially joined at the age of 19. Rising through the ranks, Riggle served in various countries including Albania, Kosovo, Liberia, and Afghanistan. Lieutenant Colonel Riggle retired from the Marine Corps Reserve, having served 23 years total (9 years active duty, 14 years in the reserves) and earned more than 22 medals and ribbons including the Combat Action Ribbon. 
Born in Louisville, Kentucky, and raised in Overland Park, Kansas, Riggle attended Shawnee Mission South High School and graduated from the University of Kansas with a B.A. in Theater & Film. He later received a Master’s in Public Administration from Webster University. He currently resides in Los Angeles.
Photographed by Sean Hagwell

About the Performer

Talented and versatile, Janelle James is an actress-comedian who quickly garnered critical acclaim and became an audience favorite in her role as the hilariously unprincipled "Principle Ava" in the hit ABC sitcom Abbot Elementary.
Launching her stand-up careers at an open mike night in a biker bar, James has since gone on tour with Chris Rock, Amy Schumer, David Cross, and others. She was included in Just for Laughs Montreal "New Faces" Category in 2016 and in the same year was name one of the 50 Funniest People in Brooklyn.
Her debut album Black and Mild was released in September 2017 on all major streaming networks. She has written and appeared on Showtime’s Black Monday, Apple TV+’s Central Park, and her podcast You in Danger Gurl was listed as on of Spotify’s Top Comedy Podcasts for 2020. Most recently, Variety listed James as a "Top Ten Comedian to Watch" in 2020.
In addition to preparing for season two of Abbott Elementary, James is serving as the host of the ABC summer game show The Final Straw and is continuing to make personal appearances and speaking engagements.
James took over the reins of the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival which is now known as the Janelle James Comedy Festival in Brooklyn.

Interview: Nia Vardalos on the Key to Comedic Chemistry in Audio

Motivated!
'There is room in audio for communication without eye contact. And that challenge was really empowering.'
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  • Motivated!
  • 'There is room in audio for communication without eye contact. And that challenge was really empowering.'
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Love it !!!!! Janelle & Nia is just wonderful ! It's so good, a masterpiece, immaculate series just wow. love listening to it. Really worth to check it out!

Masterpiece

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This is funny and I liked the storyline, but why does everything have to use profanity, specifically the ‘F’ word? Use your words, expand your vocabulary! Look in a thesaurus for words to describe things.
You wanted a review, this is mine! Accept the good, bad and ugly!

Funny concept, but…

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